TasteAtlas, an experiential travel online guide for traditional food, has ranked Larb among the 50 best-rated salads in the world.
TasteAtlas ranked Larb 11th on the list of 50 best-rated salads in the world describing the cuisine as the unofficial dish of Laos, as the dish originated from the Chinese province of Yunnan before becoming deeply rooted in Lao cuisine. In the present day, it is consumed both in Laos and the bordering Isan, a region in Thailand.
The article says, “Larb typically consists of hand-minced meat, either beef, pork, chicken, duck, or fish, raw or cooked, with a souring agent such as lime juice, fish sauce, and/or padauk, a type of fermented fish sauce. The dish has endless variations and can be found throughout Southeast Asia.”
Som Tam or Papaya Salad from the northeastern part of Thailand (Isan) was ranked sixth on the list even though the article comments that Papaya Salad first appeared in Laos.
The world’s 50 best-rated salads list included Dakos, a traditional Cretan dish from Greece, which was awarded first place.
Other notable salads from Southeast Asia that made it to the list included Pecel and Gado Gado (Indonesia), Bok l’hone (Cambodia), and Phla Kung (Thailand).
Last year, CNN included two delectable dishes from Laos – Ping Khao (or Khao jee) and Naem Khao in the list of the 50 best street foods in Asia.
